Two huge formerOklahoma preps standouts are in Norman this weekend. In the age of the transfer portal in college basketball, Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners are having to rebuild their roster after having outgoing transfer shake up the lineup. This poses an opportunity for Moser to recruit former local talents, though.
Reported by multiple sources this past week, Virginia Tech transfer Sean Pedulla and Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Garrison are both in Norman this weekend as the Sooners heavily recruit the two former in-state standouts.
Brandon Garrison could address big hole for Sooners
The former Oklahoma State Cowboy was a McDonald’s All-American. His potential — untapped while in Stillwater — is incredible. Conveniently, the big man position is a big need of Oklahoma’s. They, of course, have every need on their roster right now with a full reset coming, but last season showed the need for big man depth.
Garrison averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.7 minutes per game last season. For the Sooners, in an expanded role, his numbers and impact could increase in a big way. For Oklahoma, who saw big man depth hurt them after John Hugley’s injury, having a talent like the Del City product on the roster would be a complete turnaround from last season.
Sean Pedulla potentially raises Sooners’ ceiling for season
The former Edmond North star has played three seasons of college basketball. He’s also incredibly skilled and built for March. He is the picture-perfect addition to this program for a roster rebuild ahead of next fall. Pedulla, who averaged 16.4 points per game last season, is heading into his fourth season of college basketball playing the most important position in the sport.
It’s been proven that having solid guard play is a recipe for playing deep into March. Pedulla, in just 32.4 minutes per game, averaged 16.4 points while shooting 42 percent from the field. His ability to score the ball from the perimeter would open everything up for the Sooners offensively, and his 4.6 assists per game would allow creation and offense beyond his ability to score.
The OKPreps duo changes everything in Norman
Last season, the Sooners were NCAA Tournament hopeful. It seemed they would make it after being ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP poll. While they inevitably fell short, adding the two Oklahoma preps products would add some pressure to Moser and the Sooners. Making the NCAA Tournament in their first season in the SEC would become the expectation.
Watching how Moser fills out his roster ahead of the season is going to be interesting, but it all starts with securing these two recruits out of the portal.
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